NOCATEE, Fla. (WSVN) — A youth soccer game was abruptly disrupted as gunfire erupted during a police confrontation with a burglary suspect, leaving parents and children traumatized.
Karl Johnston was watching his 9-year-old daughter play soccer at Davis Park when an unexpected incident unfolded. A man ran by, shooting at deputies, who responded by firing back.
“He came running right by us,” recalled Johnston. “We were probably about 15 yards away from the shooter when he came down running.”
The chaotic scene sent shockwaves through the community.
“Everyone panicked, and got all of the kids on the ground, moving away from the shooter,” recounted Johnston. “The shooter went further down, and several cops were chasing him, firing. All of the kids were traumatized, screaming, crying. Parents crying. Unbelievable in this area.”
One parent described how they huddled in their car with their family for at least 45 minutes, waiting for the all-clear signal from deputies.
“We heard two or three shots, and then just kind of stopped,” said Aaron Farrar. “We looked at each other and then maybe 10 seconds later, there was another pretty significant volley of gun shots. Maybe 10 or 12. It seemed like. At that point, we all got the kids and headed to the cars.
According to deputies, the incident started as a burglary, and the suspect later succumbed to injuries at the hospital.
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